Kentucky has given cockfighting crime opportunity with the lack of attention and enforcement. It only makes sense that with each year the crime gets bigger. We also have corruption connected to this, creating lack of enforcement. But, no one is above the law and we want accountability. Cockfighting enthusiasts raise children to be the next generation of cockfighters without consequences for continuing criminal gambling and animal torture in Kentucky's future.
Kentucky ranks last in the US for animal welfare standards and for child abuse. These low ratings are connected. There have been 30 years of documentation that has connected animal abuse and interpersonal violence. The FBI now tracks these incidents because of these connections, yet Kentucky fails to acknowledge this risk. Also, many accompanying crimes occur at these clandestine operations, with children often present and involved.
One solution would be to upgrade the penalties for those who participate in gambling and in animal cruelty. Considering the animal cruelty has to take place for the gambling crimes to occur, we need both to be considered serious offenses, as well as any accompanying crimes. Kentucky has chosen to ignore these crimes for far too long creating a risk to communities, and the crime has grown to exist in all areas of the state. The violence tends to "spillover" into other aspects of life, especially when noting crimes against animals and children.
